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Monday, 31 December 2012

2012 was the year that we showed the world why we are called "Great Britain"... I'm not sure how 2013 will top it, but let's hope it's healthy, happy and prosperous for you all.
December seems to have passed me by in a flash and I aim to update you with my December in January. For those that have followed my blog over the last few years will know that January is a tough month work wise so my entertainment will be reliving my December.
This will include:-
My New York trip
Nutcracker Ballet
Waitrose cookery school
Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty
Viva Forever musical
A Taste of Christmas
and somewhere in between all of that Christmas!
I am spending New Years eve in New York style with cupcakes, New Years eve movie and a Brooklyn beer.. Cheers.....
One day I will stand in Times Square and watch the ball drop!...

Sunday, 9 December 2012

So before I start numerous blog posts on my adventures in New York, let me share an adventure that I had before I left London..... a Christmas masterclass with Mich Turner (most recently seen on Britains Best Bakery ) at the Savoy in London.
On a cold crisp Saturday morning I arrived at the sumptuous Savoy in all its Christmas splendour and shown to the Pinafore room (alternative cabinet room for Winston Churchill during the war) where I along with several other ladies spent the day with Mich and her team getting ready for Christmas.

Menu for the day consisted of:

Petal flower Amaryllis - wired and hand made

2 mini cakes complete with hand made poinsettia & piping

4 iced cookies

1 fruitcake - decorated.

This would be followed by a champagne afternoon tea.... perfect Christmas treat
Mich and her team demonstrated each part of the day clearly and patiently and answered all questions. giving tips along the way.

Mich's signature is her precision piping, so it was great to see her at work and the hints & tips that she shared were invaluable. The piped wreath cookies were so simple but very effective... some even got hung on Winston! The ice skate was equally as effective.

As you can see lots of activity at the table... looking forward to hanging my cookies on the tree!
After all the piping was done on the cakes and the cookies we broke for afternoon tea, complete with champagne ( very wise to pipe before champagne consumption!)

Tea was delicious, Scones were melt in the momentary delicious, especially when liberally adorned with cream & jam! It was great to mingle and chat with the team along with Mich, her sister and her mum who were delightful.
After tea it was time to assemble all our goodies, which included wiring the amaryllis together complete with glitter berries & ribbon before boxing everything to transport home!

with everything packed it was time to head home, I thoroughly enjoyed this day, Mich, Tamara and the team were so friendly and helpful, I couldn't recommend it enough.

Saturday, 8 December 2012

with love.... I am back from New York, laden with goodies!.... can't wait to share my adventures with you ( there are many!) amazed on how much I packed in in 5 days. City Girl's (or Google Gladwell as my "bestie" affectionately called me ) ...they will include.... NY firemen, Cupcakes, Blue Boxes, Red Velvet waffles, Eggnog, TV news crews, Pancakes, a fab night with my Best friend! and 3 serendipitous moments.... St Patricks Cathedral, World Trade Centre and the Highline....the list is endless...

However before I share my adventures, I need to get into Christmas mode as I am a little behind, so bare with me whilst i juggle and unpack!..

Tuesday, 4 December 2012

Flight smooth and relaxing... Got a big seat all to myself in premium ( all for the bargain upgrade price of £30!... ) I slept, read and watched New York themed movies across the Atlantic.
My kindle aided my waiting time in immigration... only 15 minutes which was very good for US border patrol... Luggage waiting and onto shuttle for transfer to the big city...
After checking in and dumping bags, I headed out to explore neighbourhood of an unseasonably warm New York .. 60' (my suitcase does not reflect these temperatures) apparently it will be back to the normal cold NY on Wednesday.
Located a short walk from Bloomingdales, I headed to the big brown store for a little browse and then onto Serendipity for some food & their famous frozen hot chocolate...(just the think for a warm evening in New York!)

Delicious.... (those that have not seen Serendipity the movie... It's a must at holiday time!)... more detail & pics on my return.

Sunday, 2 December 2012

It's that time of year again!... My bags are packed and I'm ready to go!

This week has been a whirl of activity, but today I got organised for my trip.Jobs today were to pack case and sort out my hand luggage all helped nicely by some Christmas movies & happy holidays playlist on iPodComing to New York with me is Ali Mcnamaras fabulous new book along with other christmassy/ new york inspired downloads on kindle...I should have enough reading material for the flight!... My faithful Moleskin New York book is back in the bag accompanied by a mini map & passport and a few gift cards to spend!... This was all,aided nicely with a Baileys coffee & peppermint brownies & candy cane hershey kisses!My To Do list is growing by the minutes.... Only hope I can cram it all in...This years musts are:Katherine Hepburn exhibition at the New York LibraryNutcracker ballet at Lincoln centreRed velvet waffles breakfast at Sweet RevengeCheesy fries & burger from Shake ShackSee you across the pond....x- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Thursday, 22 November 2012

to everyone and all!.... I've been lucky enough to spend a couple of Thanksgivings In America and watch the Macy's parade which is fabulous. For me Thanksgiving is the official stat of the Holiday season... so the countdown has officially begun.
This year I decided to celebrate Thanksgiving with an official Thanksgiving dinner courtesy of Seasons restaurant on the 5th floor of Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge... it seems a lot of other people had the same idea. The atmosphere was jovial and much celebrating was had.

Sunday, 18 November 2012

and its not all been fun.... been a bit MIA of late as I said goodbye to a special member of the family remembrance weekend ~ my aunts partner died suddenly early November which has took me backwards a little. He was a lovely man, one of life's true gentlemen who will be sorely missed by his friends and family
The past couple of weeks have been a chance to catch up with family that I haven't seen for ages and spend some time with loved ones, not the circumstances that we thought but still a chance to all catch-up ..... aside from this I have caught up with loved ones and had some fun... a day at Twickenham with Brother & Nephew (remembrance weekend) and a night seeing Lionel Richie with my sister-in-law and friends.(end of October) an afternoon surrounded by Hollywood glamour...

rumbled across the stands of Twickenham remembrance weekend for Englands first autumn international game against Fiji. Bruv, Nephew and myself headed west to Twickenham for a spot of rugby! It was Mark & Brads first time at Twickenham so we arrived with plenty of time to see everything and soak up the atmosphere. As with every 14 year old, Brads priorities were how long it would take to get there and what was he having to eat!!!....
With a sell out crowd the atmosphere was fun and friendly from the train at Waterloo to the crowd inside the stadium.
After a belting national anthem and with military representatives from both Fiji and England the stadium came to a complete silence to honour the rememberance weekend.

Prior to kick-off the Fijian squad performed the Hacka which was fantastic to see, England standing shoulder to shoulder facing of the fijian squad.

Kick off underway it was a good 15 minutes before we saw England take the ball across the halfway line. After the slow start the try's started to accumulate.

All the new players got a chance to shine on the pitch and pick up their 1st caps. It was great to see a new fresh team starting to work together and gave us lots of hope for the future.

a couple of weeks ago I headed over to the V&A to view the much talked about Hollywood Costume exhibition. So successful has the pre-bookings of this event ben that the V&A are having to extend their hours to meet the demand. Having been I get why it's been so popular, as it is unlikely that you will see this volume of costumes in one setting again... spread across 3 rooms the exhibition showcases Hollywood glamour old and new. A large volume of the collection from Hollywood archives, but also a number of pieces from private collections.
As you enter the first room, you are greeted with a huge screen showcasing a montage of movie clips, featuring some of the most iconic costumes.

From the Queen, to Margaret Thatcher , Titanic, Atonement to Scarlett O'Hara no great lady is missed...

﻿

Leading men include the cast of Oceans 11 (i was a little distracted by George Clooneys tux!) to Heath & Jakes Brokeback mountain and John Travolta's Saturday night fever white suit... Every iconic piece of Hollywood history is artfully staged with a great accompanying script of influences and storeys to each piece.
The last 2 exhibits before you leave are probably 2 of the most iconic in Hollywood history Judy Garlands dress from Wizard of Oz (including Ruby Red slippers) and Marilyn Monroes white dress from The Seven Year Itch....

I thouroughly enjoyed this exhibition and will try and get to see it again (preferably when the kids are not on school break!) before it finishes in January..... a must for any movie fan.

As you are unable to take photographs inside the exhibit I have collaged a number of photo's from various press sites via google... thankyou

All Night Long!.... a few weeks ago, my sis-in-law, and 2 friends spent an evening at the O2 watching Lionel Richie. I bought it for her months ago as a birthday present and it was fun to spend some time together without Bruv & the kids.... We started the evening in the Barclay premier lounge which was nice and gave us time to chat and catch-up before heading into the gods of the O2 to see Lionel.

It's about 10 years since we last saw him and the guy just doesnt seem to age, with boundless energy he rocked out a mixed bag of oldies with some special guests.... Endless Love duet with Rebecca Ferguson which was stunning and Angel with Pixie Lott which was great.

Sunday, 11 November 2012

Today at the 11th hour on the 11th month we will stop, fall silent and remember..... those that gave the ultimate sacrifice and never came home to keep us safe and those that continue to risk that everyday to maintain that freedom..... thankyou just doesn't seem enough....

Friday, 2 November 2012

a lot like Christmas!.... I have purposely held off posting any Christmas posts until the calendar showed November as I could hear the cry of "its too early!" but when you work in retail its hard to avoid it from September onwards. Usually the Big yellow store opens its Christmas hall in July ... yes July... but we changed this, this year opening in September...

The Christmas shop has an entrance styled like a Christmas Cabin with the most gorgeous props, wooden sledges, ski's & throws leading you into a magically lit room. Along with hundreds of lights in the ceiling the room is scented with Christmas ... its doesn't get any better than that!

The room is styled into various themes catering for all ﻿... I'm loving the sweet treats ranges, the candy cane jars are on my to buy list!

Gingerbread features heavily in this years themes from the huge Selfridges Gingerbread house in the Window (separate post to come)to the bespoke Gingerbread houses in the food hall... loving the Gingerbread tree in the foodhall too...

the donging bells in the atrium are proving to be a huge hit, creating the magic of Christmas...

﻿It really is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas in the Big Yellow Store....

Saturday, 27 October 2012

As I settled in my seat last night for a sold out viewing of Skyfall, my wait was finally over for my glimpse of 007. In its 50th year this was Bond's 23rd outing, and judging from the atmosphere in the cinema I wasn't the only one excited!....
In true Bond style the movie opened with one of the most actioned packed, stunningly orchestrated chase scenes that I have seen, Bond was off with a bang!... flowing into melancholic sounds of Adele's theme song it seemed that this Bond was going to live up to all the hype and expectation that had been set. As with all Bonds the theme song's final jigsaw puzzled slotted into place and the true essence of what the song was about suddenly all made sense.
For the next 2 hours I was swept away into this fabulous world of glamour and espionage.
There are no outrageous gadgets or gizmo's, every character enhances the story line, the new characters add to the complex layers of Bond.

The re-introduction of Q is fabulous, played by Ben Wishaw - the IT geek that everyone has worked with at sometime in their life.

Mallory played by Ralph Fiennes is a character that grows on you as you move through the movie. The "badie" played by Javier Bardem will have you squirming in your seat, chillingly creepy in a subtle way, its Julian Assange meets Hannibal Lector on a good day.

Judi Dench as M gives Daniel Craig a run for his money in the magnificent stakes, showcasing her acting pedigree to its finest, from ball breaking to heartbreaking in 2 hours

For the next 2 hours I was swept away into this fabulous world of glamour and espionage. This truly is the Best Bond that has been made. Daniel Craig is simply magnificent, bringing a Bond never seen before, humanistic, sometimes a little jaded, but so believable. Styled by Tom Ford this movie is uber glamorous, Bond has never looked so stylish and just oozes sex, appealing to the females in the audience... men will want to be him, and women will just want him!
This film is visually stunning, from the rooftops of Istanbul to the skyscrapers of Shanghai, the cinematography should be applauded and awarded. The Scottish highlands and the London skyline have never looked so evocative and breathtaking. This alone is why this film should be seen on a big screen, it is fantastic.
Skyfall elevates itself into my top 3 films ever .... Bond is back and better than ever before...

Monday, 15 October 2012

It's hard to believe looking at the blue sky in these photo's that this was only a week ago in London. The weather has turned and Winter is now rapidly approaching. After a hectic couple of weeks at work I grabbed a much needed day off and headed over the water to Greenwich. "Over the water" was exactly what i did by travelling on the new cable car route which links the east of London with the south. I did have a momentary panic half up the incline that I wanted to get off!... The views are spectacular across London and I was luck to grab a car all to myself.

Once of the other side I took a wander around Greenwich taking in the newly renovated Cutty sark. I climbed the steep hill to the observatory where﻿ autumn was just showing its colours in the park and across the London landscape.

After a late lunch it was time for me to head back to the O2 for an evening with Cirque de Soleil and its Michael Jackson show. Having never seen Cirque before I was intrigued to see what the fuss was about. The show was ok, there were moments of jaw dropping spectacle, and the music and dancing was fun and entertaining however I'm not sure if I would see them again. ﻿

Tuesday, 9 October 2012

Last week one of the most rumoured spy secrets was exposed.... Adele would be singing the theme song for the up & coming 50th Bond movie Skyfall.... at 0.07 hours it was leaked and by morning it was all everyone was talking about!....

Set to a full orchestra the song is melancholic and powerful in true Adele style and suits the premise of the film... with homages back to previous movies, Shirley Bassey coming to mind instantly it will be a sure fire hit. Having been to the Designing Bond exhibition, there are a number of homages to previous Bond movies in the up and coming Skyfall, from trunks to cars!....

so my ticket is booked and I am now counting down the days to the opening night!... Looking forward to seeing Daniel Craig suited and booted in his Tom Ford tux and topless in his trunks!

Sunday, 7 October 2012

I spent a fabulous day in London on Saturday with two special ladies in my life, Marion and Mary. They are both sprightly OAP's with Marion now in her early 70's (she will hate me for that!)... most Saturday evenings I meet them for an Indian supper and some months ago both mentioned that they would love to go to Buckingham palace... so Saturday dawned the perfect autumnal day and we headed to the palace. Out tickets were for the 11.30 entrance. We were astonished to see the 1000's of people outside the palace when we exited Green Park, waiting for the Changing of the Guard.
The palace is stunning and the tour takes you through a number of rooms before exiting out onto the gardens of the Palace.

As it's the Queens Diamond jubilee this year the special exhibition was Diamonds. This was the slowest part of the tour as everyone crowded around the exhibits which were stunning.... I was amazed on how small Queen Victorias crown was. There was so many gorgeous pieces it was hard to have a favourite.

﻿The gardens looked beautiful and against the blue sky you could just start to see some of them turning for autumn..

with a leisurely stroll through St James Park which was awash with families and tourists enjoying the last rays of a London sunshine we headed onto the Mall for our afternoon treat at the theatre.

Our afternoon was spent at the Aldwych theatre for the matinee performance of Top Hat. I had already seen this but knew it would be perfect for the M & M... who thoroughly enjoyed it....Here is my post from previous show.﻿

alas we didn't see Tom Chambers at this show but his understudy was fantastic and we did get to see my friends husband dance the lead tango in the Lido scene and the role of the shadow which was very good.

After a morning of Diamonds and an afternoon of Dancing we headed home for a supper of Curry and a rest!...A fabulous day had by all.... I hope I am that sprightly and that much fun when I'm in my 70's!

Thursday, 4 October 2012

A couple of weeks ago, I was lucy enough to get a ticket to go to the Leicester Square theatre to meet my teenager heart throb John Taylor and listen to him talk about his just published autobiography In the PLeasure Groove.... even now in my 40's I got a fizzy excitement just at the thought... yes I know he's looking a little jaded, but aren't we all!

Having now finished the book, which is a gripping read.... at their height and glamour Duran Duran were one of the most successful popular bands in the world and can still draw crowds in the 10's of thousands. A drink and drug addiction which defies belief of how JT can possibly still be alive.
Fab evening, Great read a must for any Duranie!... here's a brief clip of JT reading from his book

here's a great interview with JT about his book:

such a tizzy I left my camera at home so had to resort to phone pics which werent too great..

Monday, 1 October 2012

Saturday saw myself & a couple of friends head into London for a little retail therapy, some Lunch and an evening of entertainment at the Royal Albert Hall courtesy of Mr George Michael
This was a re-scheduled date from last October which was cancelled due to George being unwell, now likely to have been the start of his battle with pneumonia.

After a lovely afternoon (separate post to follow) the Albert hall beckoned. As previously blogged I am a huge fan of the Albert Hall, it is one of my favourite venues. Having seen George's Symphonica show in Verona last year I was intrigued to see how much had changed from then to now, post George's illness, but knew it would fit beautifully in this environment. Before we had got to our seats I had celeb spotted, with Bryan Adams being whisked past me in the corridor and then looking effortlessly cool.

With seats in the stalls our view was fantastic and although not in touching distance of George we were very close.... the stage looked sumptuous draped in crimson velvet and as the lights dimmed Georges vocals filled the auditorium with Through and backlit the curtains in a huge silhouette.

As the curtain fell the noise was tremendous.... it seemed that there was a very excited audience in the Albert Hall.... with noise levels that could lift the roof. George looked well and effortlessly stylish in black trousers, purple jacket & black tie, complete with signature glasses. He apologisedfor being a year late, and explained that the gig was starting a little late as he had,had to put out a small fire backstage before starting! He appeared relaxed and very excited to be on home turf in London.

The orchestra were outstanding and the backdrop light show complimented the diverse range of songs... the Dita Von Tesse burlesque show was a huge hit with the men in the audience!

This was the best concert that I have seen of George's and surpassed all of our expectations.He crooned, and we swooned. He showcased across a wide range of songs what an incredibly talented artist he still is. It seemed the London's home boy had staged his best show far and had rattled Albert's royal rafters to the roof! George appeared happy, relaxed and having a ball.

It was therefore some surprise to pick up the shock announcement from George that he had cancelled his Australian leg of his tour due to major anxiety. It seems that George had been warned of this from his doctors post his near death trauma and will now seek professional help to overcome this.... what this does show is what an absolute professional and showman George is and wish him a healthy and speedy recovery.

All highlights will link to other pages or video links....Thanks to all for the Youtube links....

Monday, 31 December 2012

2012 was the year that we showed the world why we are called "Great Britain"... I'm not sure how 2013 will top it, but let's hope it's healthy, happy and prosperous for you all.
December seems to have passed me by in a flash and I aim to update you with my December in January. For those that have followed my blog over the last few years will know that January is a tough month work wise so my entertainment will be reliving my December.
This will include:-
My New York trip
Nutcracker Ballet
Waitrose cookery school
Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty
Viva Forever musical
A Taste of Christmas
and somewhere in between all of that Christmas!
I am spending New Years eve in New York style with cupcakes, New Years eve movie and a Brooklyn beer.. Cheers.....
One day I will stand in Times Square and watch the ball drop!...

Sunday, 9 December 2012

So before I start numerous blog posts on my adventures in New York, let me share an adventure that I had before I left London..... a Christmas masterclass with Mich Turner (most recently seen on Britains Best Bakery ) at the Savoy in London.
On a cold crisp Saturday morning I arrived at the sumptuous Savoy in all its Christmas splendour and shown to the Pinafore room (alternative cabinet room for Winston Churchill during the war) where I along with several other ladies spent the day with Mich and her team getting ready for Christmas.

Menu for the day consisted of:

Petal flower Amaryllis - wired and hand made

2 mini cakes complete with hand made poinsettia & piping

4 iced cookies

1 fruitcake - decorated.

This would be followed by a champagne afternoon tea.... perfect Christmas treat
Mich and her team demonstrated each part of the day clearly and patiently and answered all questions. giving tips along the way.

Mich's signature is her precision piping, so it was great to see her at work and the hints & tips that she shared were invaluable. The piped wreath cookies were so simple but very effective... some even got hung on Winston! The ice skate was equally as effective.

As you can see lots of activity at the table... looking forward to hanging my cookies on the tree!
After all the piping was done on the cakes and the cookies we broke for afternoon tea, complete with champagne ( very wise to pipe before champagne consumption!)

Tea was delicious, Scones were melt in the momentary delicious, especially when liberally adorned with cream & jam! It was great to mingle and chat with the team along with Mich, her sister and her mum who were delightful.
After tea it was time to assemble all our goodies, which included wiring the amaryllis together complete with glitter berries & ribbon before boxing everything to transport home!

with everything packed it was time to head home, I thoroughly enjoyed this day, Mich, Tamara and the team were so friendly and helpful, I couldn't recommend it enough.

Saturday, 8 December 2012

with love.... I am back from New York, laden with goodies!.... can't wait to share my adventures with you ( there are many!) amazed on how much I packed in in 5 days. City Girl's (or Google Gladwell as my "bestie" affectionately called me ) ...they will include.... NY firemen, Cupcakes, Blue Boxes, Red Velvet waffles, Eggnog, TV news crews, Pancakes, a fab night with my Best friend! and 3 serendipitous moments.... St Patricks Cathedral, World Trade Centre and the Highline....the list is endless...

However before I share my adventures, I need to get into Christmas mode as I am a little behind, so bare with me whilst i juggle and unpack!..

Tuesday, 4 December 2012

Flight smooth and relaxing... Got a big seat all to myself in premium ( all for the bargain upgrade price of £30!... ) I slept, read and watched New York themed movies across the Atlantic.
My kindle aided my waiting time in immigration... only 15 minutes which was very good for US border patrol... Luggage waiting and onto shuttle for transfer to the big city...
After checking in and dumping bags, I headed out to explore neighbourhood of an unseasonably warm New York .. 60' (my suitcase does not reflect these temperatures) apparently it will be back to the normal cold NY on Wednesday.
Located a short walk from Bloomingdales, I headed to the big brown store for a little browse and then onto Serendipity for some food & their famous frozen hot chocolate...(just the think for a warm evening in New York!)

Delicious.... (those that have not seen Serendipity the movie... It's a must at holiday time!)... more detail & pics on my return.

Sunday, 2 December 2012

It's that time of year again!... My bags are packed and I'm ready to go!

This week has been a whirl of activity, but today I got organised for my trip.Jobs today were to pack case and sort out my hand luggage all helped nicely by some Christmas movies & happy holidays playlist on iPodComing to New York with me is Ali Mcnamaras fabulous new book along with other christmassy/ new york inspired downloads on kindle...I should have enough reading material for the flight!... My faithful Moleskin New York book is back in the bag accompanied by a mini map & passport and a few gift cards to spend!... This was all,aided nicely with a Baileys coffee & peppermint brownies & candy cane hershey kisses!My To Do list is growing by the minutes.... Only hope I can cram it all in...This years musts are:Katherine Hepburn exhibition at the New York LibraryNutcracker ballet at Lincoln centreRed velvet waffles breakfast at Sweet RevengeCheesy fries & burger from Shake ShackSee you across the pond....x- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Thursday, 22 November 2012

to everyone and all!.... I've been lucky enough to spend a couple of Thanksgivings In America and watch the Macy's parade which is fabulous. For me Thanksgiving is the official stat of the Holiday season... so the countdown has officially begun.
This year I decided to celebrate Thanksgiving with an official Thanksgiving dinner courtesy of Seasons restaurant on the 5th floor of Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge... it seems a lot of other people had the same idea. The atmosphere was jovial and much celebrating was had.

Sunday, 18 November 2012

and its not all been fun.... been a bit MIA of late as I said goodbye to a special member of the family remembrance weekend ~ my aunts partner died suddenly early November which has took me backwards a little. He was a lovely man, one of life's true gentlemen who will be sorely missed by his friends and family
The past couple of weeks have been a chance to catch up with family that I haven't seen for ages and spend some time with loved ones, not the circumstances that we thought but still a chance to all catch-up ..... aside from this I have caught up with loved ones and had some fun... a day at Twickenham with Brother & Nephew (remembrance weekend) and a night seeing Lionel Richie with my sister-in-law and friends.(end of October) an afternoon surrounded by Hollywood glamour...

rumbled across the stands of Twickenham remembrance weekend for Englands first autumn international game against Fiji. Bruv, Nephew and myself headed west to Twickenham for a spot of rugby! It was Mark & Brads first time at Twickenham so we arrived with plenty of time to see everything and soak up the atmosphere. As with every 14 year old, Brads priorities were how long it would take to get there and what was he having to eat!!!....
With a sell out crowd the atmosphere was fun and friendly from the train at Waterloo to the crowd inside the stadium.
After a belting national anthem and with military representatives from both Fiji and England the stadium came to a complete silence to honour the rememberance weekend.

Prior to kick-off the Fijian squad performed the Hacka which was fantastic to see, England standing shoulder to shoulder facing of the fijian squad.

Kick off underway it was a good 15 minutes before we saw England take the ball across the halfway line. After the slow start the try's started to accumulate.

All the new players got a chance to shine on the pitch and pick up their 1st caps. It was great to see a new fresh team starting to work together and gave us lots of hope for the future.

a couple of weeks ago I headed over to the V&A to view the much talked about Hollywood Costume exhibition. So successful has the pre-bookings of this event ben that the V&A are having to extend their hours to meet the demand. Having been I get why it's been so popular, as it is unlikely that you will see this volume of costumes in one setting again... spread across 3 rooms the exhibition showcases Hollywood glamour old and new. A large volume of the collection from Hollywood archives, but also a number of pieces from private collections.
As you enter the first room, you are greeted with a huge screen showcasing a montage of movie clips, featuring some of the most iconic costumes.

From the Queen, to Margaret Thatcher , Titanic, Atonement to Scarlett O'Hara no great lady is missed...

﻿

Leading men include the cast of Oceans 11 (i was a little distracted by George Clooneys tux!) to Heath & Jakes Brokeback mountain and John Travolta's Saturday night fever white suit... Every iconic piece of Hollywood history is artfully staged with a great accompanying script of influences and storeys to each piece.
The last 2 exhibits before you leave are probably 2 of the most iconic in Hollywood history Judy Garlands dress from Wizard of Oz (including Ruby Red slippers) and Marilyn Monroes white dress from The Seven Year Itch....

I thouroughly enjoyed this exhibition and will try and get to see it again (preferably when the kids are not on school break!) before it finishes in January..... a must for any movie fan.

As you are unable to take photographs inside the exhibit I have collaged a number of photo's from various press sites via google... thankyou

All Night Long!.... a few weeks ago, my sis-in-law, and 2 friends spent an evening at the O2 watching Lionel Richie. I bought it for her months ago as a birthday present and it was fun to spend some time together without Bruv & the kids.... We started the evening in the Barclay premier lounge which was nice and gave us time to chat and catch-up before heading into the gods of the O2 to see Lionel.

It's about 10 years since we last saw him and the guy just doesnt seem to age, with boundless energy he rocked out a mixed bag of oldies with some special guests.... Endless Love duet with Rebecca Ferguson which was stunning and Angel with Pixie Lott which was great.

Sunday, 11 November 2012

Today at the 11th hour on the 11th month we will stop, fall silent and remember..... those that gave the ultimate sacrifice and never came home to keep us safe and those that continue to risk that everyday to maintain that freedom..... thankyou just doesn't seem enough....

Friday, 2 November 2012

a lot like Christmas!.... I have purposely held off posting any Christmas posts until the calendar showed November as I could hear the cry of "its too early!" but when you work in retail its hard to avoid it from September onwards. Usually the Big yellow store opens its Christmas hall in July ... yes July... but we changed this, this year opening in September...

The Christmas shop has an entrance styled like a Christmas Cabin with the most gorgeous props, wooden sledges, ski's & throws leading you into a magically lit room. Along with hundreds of lights in the ceiling the room is scented with Christmas ... its doesn't get any better than that!

The room is styled into various themes catering for all ﻿... I'm loving the sweet treats ranges, the candy cane jars are on my to buy list!

Gingerbread features heavily in this years themes from the huge Selfridges Gingerbread house in the Window (separate post to come)to the bespoke Gingerbread houses in the food hall... loving the Gingerbread tree in the foodhall too...

the donging bells in the atrium are proving to be a huge hit, creating the magic of Christmas...

﻿It really is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas in the Big Yellow Store....

Saturday, 27 October 2012

As I settled in my seat last night for a sold out viewing of Skyfall, my wait was finally over for my glimpse of 007. In its 50th year this was Bond's 23rd outing, and judging from the atmosphere in the cinema I wasn't the only one excited!....
In true Bond style the movie opened with one of the most actioned packed, stunningly orchestrated chase scenes that I have seen, Bond was off with a bang!... flowing into melancholic sounds of Adele's theme song it seemed that this Bond was going to live up to all the hype and expectation that had been set. As with all Bonds the theme song's final jigsaw puzzled slotted into place and the true essence of what the song was about suddenly all made sense.
For the next 2 hours I was swept away into this fabulous world of glamour and espionage.
There are no outrageous gadgets or gizmo's, every character enhances the story line, the new characters add to the complex layers of Bond.

The re-introduction of Q is fabulous, played by Ben Wishaw - the IT geek that everyone has worked with at sometime in their life.

Mallory played by Ralph Fiennes is a character that grows on you as you move through the movie. The "badie" played by Javier Bardem will have you squirming in your seat, chillingly creepy in a subtle way, its Julian Assange meets Hannibal Lector on a good day.

Judi Dench as M gives Daniel Craig a run for his money in the magnificent stakes, showcasing her acting pedigree to its finest, from ball breaking to heartbreaking in 2 hours

For the next 2 hours I was swept away into this fabulous world of glamour and espionage. This truly is the Best Bond that has been made. Daniel Craig is simply magnificent, bringing a Bond never seen before, humanistic, sometimes a little jaded, but so believable. Styled by Tom Ford this movie is uber glamorous, Bond has never looked so stylish and just oozes sex, appealing to the females in the audience... men will want to be him, and women will just want him!
This film is visually stunning, from the rooftops of Istanbul to the skyscrapers of Shanghai, the cinematography should be applauded and awarded. The Scottish highlands and the London skyline have never looked so evocative and breathtaking. This alone is why this film should be seen on a big screen, it is fantastic.
Skyfall elevates itself into my top 3 films ever .... Bond is back and better than ever before...

Monday, 15 October 2012

It's hard to believe looking at the blue sky in these photo's that this was only a week ago in London. The weather has turned and Winter is now rapidly approaching. After a hectic couple of weeks at work I grabbed a much needed day off and headed over the water to Greenwich. "Over the water" was exactly what i did by travelling on the new cable car route which links the east of London with the south. I did have a momentary panic half up the incline that I wanted to get off!... The views are spectacular across London and I was luck to grab a car all to myself.

Once of the other side I took a wander around Greenwich taking in the newly renovated Cutty sark. I climbed the steep hill to the observatory where﻿ autumn was just showing its colours in the park and across the London landscape.

After a late lunch it was time for me to head back to the O2 for an evening with Cirque de Soleil and its Michael Jackson show. Having never seen Cirque before I was intrigued to see what the fuss was about. The show was ok, there were moments of jaw dropping spectacle, and the music and dancing was fun and entertaining however I'm not sure if I would see them again. ﻿

Tuesday, 9 October 2012

Last week one of the most rumoured spy secrets was exposed.... Adele would be singing the theme song for the up & coming 50th Bond movie Skyfall.... at 0.07 hours it was leaked and by morning it was all everyone was talking about!....

Set to a full orchestra the song is melancholic and powerful in true Adele style and suits the premise of the film... with homages back to previous movies, Shirley Bassey coming to mind instantly it will be a sure fire hit. Having been to the Designing Bond exhibition, there are a number of homages to previous Bond movies in the up and coming Skyfall, from trunks to cars!....

so my ticket is booked and I am now counting down the days to the opening night!... Looking forward to seeing Daniel Craig suited and booted in his Tom Ford tux and topless in his trunks!

Sunday, 7 October 2012

I spent a fabulous day in London on Saturday with two special ladies in my life, Marion and Mary. They are both sprightly OAP's with Marion now in her early 70's (she will hate me for that!)... most Saturday evenings I meet them for an Indian supper and some months ago both mentioned that they would love to go to Buckingham palace... so Saturday dawned the perfect autumnal day and we headed to the palace. Out tickets were for the 11.30 entrance. We were astonished to see the 1000's of people outside the palace when we exited Green Park, waiting for the Changing of the Guard.
The palace is stunning and the tour takes you through a number of rooms before exiting out onto the gardens of the Palace.

As it's the Queens Diamond jubilee this year the special exhibition was Diamonds. This was the slowest part of the tour as everyone crowded around the exhibits which were stunning.... I was amazed on how small Queen Victorias crown was. There was so many gorgeous pieces it was hard to have a favourite.

﻿The gardens looked beautiful and against the blue sky you could just start to see some of them turning for autumn..

with a leisurely stroll through St James Park which was awash with families and tourists enjoying the last rays of a London sunshine we headed onto the Mall for our afternoon treat at the theatre.

Our afternoon was spent at the Aldwych theatre for the matinee performance of Top Hat. I had already seen this but knew it would be perfect for the M & M... who thoroughly enjoyed it....Here is my post from previous show.﻿

alas we didn't see Tom Chambers at this show but his understudy was fantastic and we did get to see my friends husband dance the lead tango in the Lido scene and the role of the shadow which was very good.

After a morning of Diamonds and an afternoon of Dancing we headed home for a supper of Curry and a rest!...A fabulous day had by all.... I hope I am that sprightly and that much fun when I'm in my 70's!

Thursday, 4 October 2012

A couple of weeks ago, I was lucy enough to get a ticket to go to the Leicester Square theatre to meet my teenager heart throb John Taylor and listen to him talk about his just published autobiography In the PLeasure Groove.... even now in my 40's I got a fizzy excitement just at the thought... yes I know he's looking a little jaded, but aren't we all!

Having now finished the book, which is a gripping read.... at their height and glamour Duran Duran were one of the most successful popular bands in the world and can still draw crowds in the 10's of thousands. A drink and drug addiction which defies belief of how JT can possibly still be alive.
Fab evening, Great read a must for any Duranie!... here's a brief clip of JT reading from his book

here's a great interview with JT about his book:

such a tizzy I left my camera at home so had to resort to phone pics which werent too great..

Monday, 1 October 2012

Saturday saw myself & a couple of friends head into London for a little retail therapy, some Lunch and an evening of entertainment at the Royal Albert Hall courtesy of Mr George Michael
This was a re-scheduled date from last October which was cancelled due to George being unwell, now likely to have been the start of his battle with pneumonia.

After a lovely afternoon (separate post to follow) the Albert hall beckoned. As previously blogged I am a huge fan of the Albert Hall, it is one of my favourite venues. Having seen George's Symphonica show in Verona last year I was intrigued to see how much had changed from then to now, post George's illness, but knew it would fit beautifully in this environment. Before we had got to our seats I had celeb spotted, with Bryan Adams being whisked past me in the corridor and then looking effortlessly cool.

With seats in the stalls our view was fantastic and although not in touching distance of George we were very close.... the stage looked sumptuous draped in crimson velvet and as the lights dimmed Georges vocals filled the auditorium with Through and backlit the curtains in a huge silhouette.

As the curtain fell the noise was tremendous.... it seemed that there was a very excited audience in the Albert Hall.... with noise levels that could lift the roof. George looked well and effortlessly stylish in black trousers, purple jacket & black tie, complete with signature glasses. He apologisedfor being a year late, and explained that the gig was starting a little late as he had,had to put out a small fire backstage before starting! He appeared relaxed and very excited to be on home turf in London.

The orchestra were outstanding and the backdrop light show complimented the diverse range of songs... the Dita Von Tesse burlesque show was a huge hit with the men in the audience!

This was the best concert that I have seen of George's and surpassed all of our expectations.He crooned, and we swooned. He showcased across a wide range of songs what an incredibly talented artist he still is. It seemed the London's home boy had staged his best show far and had rattled Albert's royal rafters to the roof! George appeared happy, relaxed and having a ball.

It was therefore some surprise to pick up the shock announcement from George that he had cancelled his Australian leg of his tour due to major anxiety. It seems that George had been warned of this from his doctors post his near death trauma and will now seek professional help to overcome this.... what this does show is what an absolute professional and showman George is and wish him a healthy and speedy recovery.

All highlights will link to other pages or video links....Thanks to all for the Youtube links....

On my Desk

Welcome to TCakes

Welcome to TCakes... Thankyou for being part of the Recipes of my Life:
Ingredients include:-
* A frosting of Cupcakes & Yummy treats
* A mixing bowl of Books, Beauty & Baking
* Slices of city life in New York & London
and a Sprinkle of Scum & Rugby Thighs!
.... Sip, Digest & Enjoy.... love & crumbs Teresa x